Homicide Survivorship and the Experiences of Black and White Americans.

Homicide survivors experience a wide range of emotional difficulties, yet little is known about the criminal justice system's ability to support this group of individuals. One of the reasons for this is that little is understood about the experiences and attitudes of homicide survivors in comparison to non-homicide survivors. In addition, very little work has addressed the racialized context of homicide—wherein African American families and communities are dramatically impacted by criminal homicide at significantly higher rates than white Americans. Given that the homicide survivorship experience may occur within a markedly different racial context, the current study addresses these gaps by using General Social Survey (GSS) data to explore their demographic characteristics, experiences related to direct victimization, and attitudes toward the death penalty. These preliminary findings highlight some of key racial differences and similarities among black and white American homicide survivors, thus providing new avenues for future research and criminal justice support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]